This invention relates to a label roll core holder in a labeler, particularly to a label roll core holder for holding a label roll and feeding out a label strip for label attachment, a label retraining and guiding system of a printing labeler for pressing a continuous label strip guided over a platen disposed opposite a label printer in the direction of the platen, and a label roll protective cover device.
Substantially all conventional labelers have label printing capability in addition to labeling capability. The label roll core holder of a labeler is required to have the following characteristics.
The first required characteristic is the ability to reliably hold the label roll and the core thereof. In particular, it is necessary to reliably hold the core under various circumstances, such as during labeler transport and use and when the label roll is changed. When the labeler is being transported after shipment from the labeler plant, for example, the packaged labeler is generally loaded with a sample label roll. The label roll must therefore be made safe from detachment from the core holder by shocks experienced during transport and handling. Further, during labeler use, the labeler is operated in the manner of swinging it downward during label printing operation and label attachment operation and the amount of operating force and shock at the time of attachment differs depending on the user. Even if the operating force differs, it is necessary to cope accordingly so as to hold the label roll stably.
The second required characteristic is that the label roll be easy to load and remove. When the label roll has been used up only the core remains in the core holder. The operations of removing the core and loading a new label roll must of course be simple. In addition, even in the course of use, a problem may occur that makes it necessary to remove the label roll for inspection or to replace it.
Even under trouble-free condition, the label roll may have to be replaced with one of a different design.
Needless to say, the first characteristic and the second characteristic are incompatible and a core holder that can provide both is needed.
There has also been a problem with the guiding and restraining section for the leading end of the label strip.
A general explanation of a conventional portable printing labeler 100 will be given with reference to FIG. 13.
FIG. 13 is a schematic vertical sectional view of the portable printing labeler 101. The printing labeler 101 comprises a pair of left and right side plates 102, a label case 103, a printer 104, a conveyance roller 105, a label presser 106, a platen 107, a pair of left and right label guide pieces 108 provided above the platen 107, a deflection member 109 constituted as a deflection pin or the like, a bottom cover 110 and a labeling roller 111. The pair of left and right label guide pieces 108, the deflection member 109, and the bottom cover 110 constitute a label restraining and guiding system 112.
The aforesaid members are retained between the pair of left and right side plates 102 by shaft-mounting or direct attachment. The label case 103 holds a continuous label strip 113 in the form of a roll and can feed out the continuous label strip 113 to supply it between the label presser 106 and the conveyance roller 105, and further between pair of left and right label guide pieces 108 and the platen 107.
The continuous label strip 113 is composed of a strip-like backing sheet 114 having a label peel-off layer and multiple labels 115 provisionally attached to the backing sheet 114.
The printer 104 effects prescribed printing on the portion of the continuous label strip 113 (label 115) located on the platen 107. Printing operation is conducted by manipulating a handle (not shown) operated by swinging it relative to the side plates 102.
Conveyance projections 116 are provided on the peripheral surface of the conveyance roller 105 to be engageable with the continuous label strip 113 supplied between the conveyance roller 105 and the label presser 106. When the printer 104 is moved downward by the aforesaid handle operation (operation of printing on the label 115), the conveyance roller 105 rotates synchronously around a rotation shaft 117 to feed out the continuous label strip 113 in the direction of the platen 107, peel off the label 115 at the deflection member 109 located at the tip of the platen 107, and further feed the backing sheet 114 from which the label 115 was peeled to the rear. The platen 107 allows passage of the continuous label strip 113 on its front side and of the label 115 on its rear side and serves as a plate for the printing of the continuous label strip 113 (label 115) by the printer 104.
The pair of left and right label guide pieces 108 are made of a metal such as iron and are fixed on the inner sides of the side plates 102 to be position above the platen 107. Each label guide piece 108 is composed of a platen-side flat guide section 118 and a deflection member-side inclined section 119. The platen-side flat guide sections 118 face the platen 107 from above and guide the left and right edge portions of the continuous label strip 113 by pressing them toward the platen 107.
The deflection member-side inclined section 119 is inclined downward slightly at the tip of the platen-side flat guide section 118.
The deflection member 109 is mounted at the tip of the platen 107. Only the backing sheet 114 of the continuous label strip 113 is turned back at the deflection member 109 and the label 115 peels off the backing sheet 114 owing to its own stiffness to be positioned under the labeling roller 111.
The labeling roller 111 is supported to be rotatable around a rotation shaft 120 to enable attachment of labels 115 to the objects to be labeled (not shown). The bottom cover 110 has a sloped guide portion 121 at the tip thereof facing the deflection member 109.
The continuous label strip 113 passes along the platen-side flat guide sections 118 and the deflection member-side inclined sections 119 of the label guide pieces 108 and from the sloped guide portion 121 and the surface of the bottom cover 110. It can make a U-turn at the portion of the deflection member 109, thereby enabling the label 115 to peel from the backing sheet 114.
The platen 107 can swing open counterclockwise around the rotation shaft 117 as seen in the drawing, and the bottom cover 110 can swing open clockwise around the rotation shaft 120 as seen in the drawing. When the bottom cover 110 and the platen 107 have been swung open, continuous label strip 113 can be loaded in the printing labeler 101.
As explained in the foregoing, in order to effect smooth peeling of the label 115 from the backing sheet 114 in the foregoing manner, the label restraining and guiding system 112 restrains the continuous label strip 113 in the direction of the platen 107 and guides it in the direction of the deflection member 109.
In the portable printing labeler 101 and label restraining and guiding system 112 of this structure, the pair of left and right label guide pieces 108 and the deflection member-side inclined sections 119 of the platen-side flat guide sections 118 are repeatedly abraded by the continuous label strip 113 owing to successive conveyance and peeling of the continuous label strip 113. They therefore wear and require replacement.
Although the pair of left and right label guide pieces 108 are themselves made of metal so as to enhance their abrasion resistance, they are joined to the inner surfaces of the pair of left and right side plates 102 and are difficult to replace at the time of actual replacement. In actual practice, they are replaced with new components as a whole together with the side plates 102. This need to replace large components in their entirety only for the purpose of replacing small components like the label guide pieces 108 is a problem in terms of cost. U.S. Pat. No. 4,142,932 teaches a structure in which components corresponding to the label guide pieces 108 are made detachable from the pair of left and right side plates 102. At the time of replacing the label guide pieces, however, the side plates 102 have to be completely detached and disassembled in their entireties, whereafter reassembly is necessary. Poor efficiency is therefore a problem.
The present invention was accomplished in light of the foregoing problems and has as its object to provide a label roll core holder in a labeler, that can reliably hold a label roll and the core thereof.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a label roll core holder in a labeler, which simplifies the work of loading and the work of removing the label roll.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a label roll core holder in a labeler, that can be simply and compactly configured in a small space.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a label restraining and guiding system in a labeler, that enables the work of replacing label guide pieces to be carried out simply.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a label restraining and guiding system in a labeler, that enables the label guide pieces to be replaced alone without replacing the pair of left and right side plates in their entirety.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a label restraining and guiding system in a labeler, that at the time of replacing the label guide pieces enables the replacement work to be conducted efficiently with no need to detach and disassemble the pair of left and right side plates in their entirety.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a protective cover which, when in the closed state, prevents the label roll from being inadvertently removed from the core holder even if an operation is attempted to move it in the core removal direction.
Specifically, in a labeler that focuses on constituting core holding members for holding the label roll (core holding lug members) to be of pivoting type and on spring biasing the pivoting type core holding members, that has a pair of left and right side plates and a label roll conveyance path formed between the side plates and that feeds the label roll through the conveyance path as a strip to attach labels, the present invention provides a label roll core holder in a first labeler characterized in having a pair of left and right spring plates provided to face each other across a label holding space between the pair of left and right side plates and, at tips of the spring plates, a pair of left and right core holding lug members for holding the label roll, the core holding lug members each having a rotation shaft, a core holding portion adapted for holding the label roll and located nearer the label holding space than the rotation shaft, and a lug portion that is located on the opposite side of the rotation shaft from the core holding portion and projects outward of the side plate, and the spring plates being capable of supporting the core holding portions of the core holding lug members in a core holding attitude.
Auxiliary springs can be provided for supplementing the biasing force of the spring plates.
The core holding portions of the left and right core holding lug members can be given identical shapes.
The core holding portions of the left and right core holding lug members can be given different shapes.
Core retaining projections can be formed on the core holding portions of the core holding lug members.
The spring plates can be provided at locations thereof apart from said tips toward their middle portions with retaining projection portions capable of holding the core in cooperation with the core holding portions.
The label roll core holder in a labeler according the present invention is provided with the pair of left and right spring plates and the pair of left and right core holding lug members elastically biased by the spring plates. The core can therefore be held by the core holding portions of the core holding lug members and the core can be removed by operating the lug portions located on the opposite side from the core holding portion.
The label roll can be loaded by forcibly pushing it between the pair of left and right core holding lug members so as to drive it between the core holding lug members against the biasing force of the spring plates. When the label roll has been pushed inward until the hollow center portion of its core reaches the location of the core holding portions, the core holding lug members are restored to their original positions (the core holding attitude) by the biasing force of the spring plates, thereby holding the label roll.
When the label roll has been used up or when it is to be changed before being completely used, the lug portions of the core holding lug members are operated so as to pivot and tilt them as a whole and thereby form a gap sufficient for extraction of the label roll. The core can therefore be easily removed. Otherwise, the entire labeler can be turned upside down to remove the label roll from the core holder by dint of its own weight, without need for any special operation.
Further, in a label restraining and guiding system of a printing labeler that focuses on enabling a label guide piece to be constituted not as separate left and right bodies but as one of a unitary and replaceable type and on forming engagement grooves for detachably engaging the label guide piece in inner wall surfaces of a pair of left and right side plates and that has a deflection member for turning back only the backing sheet of a continuous label strip composed of a backing sheet having a label peel-off layer and a plurality of labels provisionally attached to the backing sheet to thereby peel the labels from the backing sheet, a platen that supports lateral end portions of the deflection member, a pair of left and right side plates that support the platen, and a label guide piece that faces the platen and guides the continuous label strip toward the deflection member, the present invention provides a label restraining and guiding system in a second labeler characterized in that the label guide piece integrally has a pair of left and right engagement flange portions engageable with a pair of left and right engagement grooves formed in the pair of left and right side plates, a stop portion that connects upstream ends of the engagement flange portions, and a deflection guide portion that connects downstream ends of the engagement flange portions, and that a surface of the platen faces a vacant space enclosed by the engagement flange portions, the stop portion and the deflection guide portion.
The label guide piece can be formed to be laterally symmetrical.
Projecting portions projecting inward of the side plates can be formed on the side plates above the engagement grooves.
The stop portion of the label guide piece can be formed substantially perpendicular to a plane including the engagement flange portions.
The label guide piece can be formed of synthetic resin.
The label restraining and guiding system of a printing labeler according to the present invention does not have a pair of separate left and right label guide pieces but is constituted as a replaceable insertion type unit, and engagement grooves for engagement by the label guide piece are formed in the inner wall surfaces of the pair of left and right side plates. Only slight spreading of the pair of left and right side plates enables the label guide piece to be inserted therebetween. Once the label guide piece has been fitted into the engagement grooves, the pair of left and right side plates are then reassembled in this state and fastened by tightening bolts or the like.
When the label guide piece is replaced, therefore, unlike conventionally, there is no need to entirely replace the pair of left and right side plates with new ones or to entirely detach and disassemble the pair of left and right side plates. Rather, the label guide piece can be fixed in the prescribed location merely by loosening the bolts and slightly spreading the side plates. The work of replacing the label guide piece is therefore very simple and can be conducted at low cost.
The label guide piece need not be made of metal as is the conventional practice but can instead be made of synthetic resin or other such inexpensive material.
Moreover, the protective cover device according to the present invention effectively prevents inadvertent removal of the label roll from the core holder even if an operation is effected in the core removal direction.